In Week 7 of the NCAAF season, the Liberty Flames (4-0 SU, 3-1 ATS) are set to host the Florida International Panthers (2-3 SU, 3-2 ATS) on Tuesday night, marking Liberty’s return to the field after a brief hiatus due to Hurricane Helene, which cancelled their last scheduled game against Appalachian State. This game kicks off at 7:00 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on CBS Sports, with Liberty heavily favored to win (-17.5) and continue their unbeaten run.
Last season, Liberty won this matchup 38-6 at FIU.
Liberty's dominant start to the season has seen them post victories against Campbell, New Mexico State, UTEP, and East Carolina, averaging 33.5 points per game. Quarterback Kaidon Salter, last year’s Conference USA MVP, has been efficient, throwing for 949 yards with seven touchdowns and just one interception across four starts. Complementing Salter is the running back duo of Quinton Cooley and Billy Lucas, who have combined for eight rushing touchdowns and an impressive average of over five yards per carry. With a balanced offense that racks up over 240 passing yards and 218 rushing yards per game, Liberty is poised to keep the pressure on FIU’s bad defense. Look for Salter and Cooley in particular to both eat.
On the other hand, FIU has had a rocky season, including a tough 31-7 defeat at Indiana and a shocking home loss to FCS Monmouth. Quarterback Keyone Jenkins has shown flashes of potential, but turnovers have plagued the offense, and the Panthers rank near the bottom in both passing and rushing efficiency. Defensively, FIU faces a daunting challenge, as they have been one of the worst units in the nation, allowing nearly 30 points per game and ranking 112th in defensive SP+. With Liberty’s potent offense and a dominant defense allowing just 20.5 points per game, it’s hard to see how FIU can keep up, making Liberty a strong bet to cover up to -20.5.
Keep an eye on FIU LB Trevion Barnes - he ranks 4th in the country in solo tackles, has 54 in total and is going to play on Sundays someday. But his presence alone won't be enough to keep this Flames offense from doing what it wants to do.
BetQL’s NCAAF Model projects Liberty to win by 19 points, thus putting a lot of importance in the number you can get them at. (BetMGM is listing them at -17.5 at the time of this writing.)
If you’re looking for an upset to get action on, don’t make this the one. Under HC Jamey Chadwell, Liberty has gone 17-1 SU dating back to the start of last season. Per BetQL’s model, Liberty has a 92.69% chance to win this game outright.
Best Bets: Liberty -17.5, Over 54.5
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